It wasn’t the only freshman show to catch the eye of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. ABC’s comedy Modern Family, about a delightfully dysfunctional clan, earned 14 nominations. Among them: best comedy series, writing, directing and several best-supporting-actor and -actress nominations, including one for Sofia Vergara, who along with Community star Joel McHale helped to announce the nominations.

CBS’ The Good Wife picked up nine nominations after its first season, including best dramatic series and best actress for Julianna Margulies.

There was also a fond farewell to ABC drama series Lost. It had a particularly strong showing, earning nominations in several categories, including best dramatic series and a best-actor nod for Matthew Fox.

Two other outgoing shows didn’t have quite the sendoff. Fox’s 24 managed just five nominations, and NBC’s long-running Law & Order is going away empty-handed.

There’s also no sign that AMC’s period drama Mad Men and NBC’s comedy series 30 Rock are getting old.

Mad Men, the winner of best dramatic series for the past two years, earned 17 nominations, including best drama series and acting nominations for Jon Hamm and January Jones, as well as writing and directing.

And 30 Rock, which has won best comedy series for the past three seasons, garnered 15 nominations, including best comedy series and acting nods for Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey, among others, as well as writing and directing.

Houston native Jim Parsons will again face Baldwin in the lead actor in a comedy series category for his work on The Big Bang Theory.

"I’m not a big partier, as it is, so I certainly won’t be grabbing a bottle of Jack and hitting the town. Maybe I’ll have dessert tonight? I’m a wild man," said Parsons, on how he’ll celebrate his nomination.

Somewhere, Conan O’Brien was cackling: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences jumped on the Team Coco bandwagon, nominating the short-lived The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien in the category of best variety, music or comedy series, snubbing Jay Leno.

O’Brien’s Tonight Show also was nominated in three other categories, no thanks to NBC, which did not campaign for him.

Rounding out the best-comedy nominations are Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office and the darkly funny Nurse Jackie. Joining Mad Men, The Good Wife and Lost for best dramatic series are Breaking Bad, Dexter and True Blood.

To those wags who think NBC’s Saturday Night Live is past its late-night prime, here’s this: The comedy-variety series earned 12 nominations, making for a grand total of 126 since it started in 1975. In doing so, it has now surpassed NBC’s ER — which earned 124 during its lifespan — as the most-nominated television show in Emmy history.

As usual, HBO dominated the nominations. The pay channel pulled in 101, two more than last year’s haul. Leading the way was ambitious 10-part World War II miniseries The Pacific — produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks — with 24 of those nominations. (By contrast, the network with the next-highest haul was ABC, with 63 nominations. HBO’s network rival, Showtime, earned 23 nominations.)

Although there was a lot of young talent nominated Thursday, several veterans earned some shout-outs, including Eli Wallach, 94, for a guest role on Nurse Jackie, as well as Robert Morse for Mad Men, Sissy Spacek for Big Love, Shirley Jones for The Cleaner, Maggie Smith for Capturing Mary, Judi Dench for Return to Cranford, Lily Tomlin for Damages, Elaine Stritch for 30 Rock, Ann-Margret for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Brenda Vaccaro for You Don’t Know Jack; and last but not least, the red-hot Betty White for her turn hosting Saturday Night Live.

The Emmy Awards will air Aug. 29 on NBC, with Jimmy Fallon hosting. The ceremony, which usually airs in September, was moved up to avoid a conflict with NBC’s Sunday NFL broadcasts.